PM kicking the ball back to
MIC to set up another committee on the plight of Malaysian Indians is a
great letdown after the 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration – both a cry of
desperation for justice of Malaysian Indians at becoming a new underclass
and a powerful vote of no confidence in Samy Vellu after more than 28 years
as MIC President and Cabinet Minister

____________Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang
_______________

(Parliament,
Friday):The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi kicking the ball back to the Malaysian Indian
Congress (MIC) to set up another committee on the plight of Malaysian
Indians is a great letdown after the 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration –
which was both a cry of desperation for justice of Malaysian Indians at
becoming a new underclass and a powerful vote of no confidence in Datuk
Seri S. Samy Vellu after more than 28 years as MIC President and Cabinet
Minister.

Samy Vellu’s revelation yesterday that after meeting the Prime Minister on
Wednesday, Abdullah had asked MIC to set up a special committee to analyze
and address socio-economic problems faced by the Indian community is
further proof of the advanced denial syndrome of the Barisan Nasional
government.

It is also powerful vindication of the critique by the Penang State Exco,
Dr. Toh Kin Woon that the Abdullah administration had failed ordinary
Malaysians in the past four years in being impervious and insensitive to
their “grievances, frustrations and unhappiness”, giving force to his
contention that “it is this discontent and unhappiness that will be a
greater threat to our country’s peace and stability, rather than the
marches, pickets and demonstrations.”

The worst possible responses to the Hindraf demonstration by the
government are two – one, to persecute the organizers and supporters of
the Hindraf demonstration as “bad hats” and “trouble-makers” and two,
refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the “grievances, frustrations
and unhappiness” of the Malaysian Indians which have transformed the
Hindraf demonstration into such a powerful expression of protest and
alienation.

Both these “worst responses” have been adopted. Firstly, organizers and
supporters of the Hindraf demonstration are being persecuted and
prosecuted.

Secondly, asking the MIC to set up another committee after three decades
of neglect and marginalization of the Malaysian Indian community is no
different from dismissing or treating flippantly the root causes of the
Hindraf demonstration.

It is also adding salt to injury as Samy Vellu and MIC must bear full
responsibility for the relentless political, economic, educational,
social, cultural and religious marginalization of the Indian community in
the past 28 years (the period Samy Vellu was MIC President and Cabinet
Minister) until they have become a new underclass in Malaysia.

The proper and responsible government response is for the Cabinet and
Parliament to heed the views of Toh Kin Woon and concede the legitimacy of
the “grievances, frustrations and unhappiness” of the Malaysian Indians
resulting in the 30,000 Hindraf demonstration and to adopt a new strategy
to address and resolve them – by way of a new policy for a New Deal to end
the Marginalization of the Malaysian Indian community.

However, when the ball is kicked back to the MIC without Cabinet and
Parliament acknowledging the legitimacy of the long history of
“grievances, frustrations and unhappiness” leading up to the Hindraf
demonstration, both the Cabinet and Parliament would have abdicated from
their responsibilities to ensure that every Malaysian, regardless of race
or religion, is entitled to an equal place under the Malaysian sun.

There can be no denial that the 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration was a
public vote of no confidence in Samy Vellu for his failure in the past
three decades to check and reverse the relentless marginalization of the
Malaysian Indians into a new underclass in the country.

Samy Vellu has two honorable options before him as his response to the
Hindraf demonstration – firstly, to admit his failures as MIC President
and Cabinet Minister in the past 28 years and submit his resignation as
both MIC President and Cabinet Minister.

Option Two – to get Cabinet and Parliament to concede the legitimacy of
the “grievances, frustrations and unhappiness” of the Malaysian Indians
resulting in the 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration by adopting a new
national policy on a New Deal to end the Marginalization of the Malaysian
Indian community, failing which, he should resign as MIC President and
Cabinet Minister for three-decades of failure to protect the legitimate
rights and interests of the Malaysian Indians.